I’m not a fan of the “Caviar Communist” who is now Mayor of New York City.

So I very much appreciate this video produced by a long-time friend.

Before addressing the core message of the video (taxpayers in the rest of the state giving Mamdani a $4 billion bailout thanks to Governor Hochul), I’ll start with a boring bit of fiscal wonkery.

As you can see from this list, Mayor Mamdani is grabbing more revenue from New York City’s already-overburdened taxpayers.

Yet, as seen by this tweet, he has the gall to brag that he has successfully balanced the city budget.

There are three reasons why this rubs me the wrong way.

First, if he balances a budget by taking more money from people, that’s fiscal failure rather than success. New York City already has a bloated budget.

Second, I don’t believe his revenue grabs will actually generate as much revenue as Mamdani hopes. Simply stated, people change their behavior to protect their income.

Third (and most important), I also think it’s absurd to claim success when Mayor Mamdani received a massive bailout.

What bailout? I’m glad you asked.

Thanks to the state’s feckless governor, the city’s greedy politicians received $4 billion from taxpayers in Long Island and Westchester, as well as upstate New York.

In other words, the bailout mentioned by NBC.

The one mentioned by New York Focus.

Which is the same one mentioned by the Center Square.

And the one mentioned by the New York Post.

I’ll close with an analogy.

If some rich relative sent me a bunch of money because I had squandered several months of mortgage money on a bender in Vegas, my ability to then pay my bills would not make me a financial success.

It would make me a moocher.

And if I then continued to squander money because I was – in effect – rewarded for my irresponsible profligacy, my mythical rich relative would be very wise not to repeat the mistake.

For some strange reason, however, I fear state taxpayers will be be footing the bill for future bailouts. Even worse, federal bailouts may be next.